The field of the invention relates to construction of a house, cabin, or other structure from logs.
Log cabins have been known and used as dwellings for hundreds of years. The current methods of building a log cabin include construction of a cabin by hand from logs in their natural shape, and construction of a cabin from interchangeable prefabricated logs produced in a manufacturing environment. In either method, logs are stacked horizontally crosswise to form a multi-walled structure. The number of logs stacked generally dictates the height of the structure.
The common techniques for log home construction have many non-desirable aspects, concerns, and maintenance problems associated with the house.
One common problem is vertical shrinkage or settling of the house. As the logs dry, they have a tendency to slightly shrink and settle. One common result of settling logs is the decrease in overall vertical height of the wall. As the logs settle, even slightly, the overall height of the house decreases; this leads to various problems throughout the house.
The overall problem caused by shrinkage of the house is that the finished work inside the house cracks, warps, gets crushed, and otherwise is deformed and distorted. For example, drywall and plaster walls crack, and more durable yet expensive wall surfaces, such as wainscot tiling, can break. Compression of the walls also hinders swinging of doors, both interior and exterior. Stairways can misalign with the upper floor. Depending on the amount of wall shrinkage, pipes within the wall may bend or break, and chimneys may crumble.
Another common facet of conventional log building techniques is that the length or width of the home is dependent on the length of the logs. Having long logs has at least two major disadvantages. First, the price for logs exponentially increases in relation to the length needed, drastically driving up the cost of larger houses. Second, portions of many of these long logs are wasted, because most exterior walls are constructed as solid walls, with the logs extending the entire length of the wall. First, the log is cut to the desired length, creating wasted material. Openings for any doors or windows are cut out from the solid wall and the material removed from the openings is discarded. The home owner is paying for log material not utilized in the final house.
These concerns, those of maintenance problems and high expenses, are drawbacks to a log building. The log home construction of the present invention minimizes, and generally eliminates, these concerns and problems.
This invention is directed to log homes, cabins, and other structures. The log construction of the present invention provides a log building that has minimal settling, which decreases the maintenance needed on the building.
Further, the log construction of the present invention minimizes the amount of logs needed to construct the building, as compared to conventional log constructions. This reduces the cost of the construction, which can be passed on to the owner.
In particular, the present invention is directed to a log construction, such as a log home, having at least one exterior wall that has a first plurality of horizontal logs extending from a first vertical post to a second vertical post, and a second plurality of horizontal logs extending from the second vertical post to a third vertical post. In one embodiment, the horizontal logs each has a first end face and an opposed second end face; each of these faces having a groove therein. The first and second vertical posts also have grooves therein. A spline is positioned in each of the grooves, so as to connect the horizontal logs to the vertical posts. A cap log extends the length of the construction wall and functions as a header beam.
In another aspect, the invention is directed to a log construction having an exterior wall. The exterior wall includes a plurality of vertical posts, where one of the plurality of vertical posts positioned in each corner of the log construction. A second plurality of vertical posts is positioned within the exterior wall, generally at least one between each corner post. Multiple horizontal logs extend between adjacent vertical posts.
Methods of making a log construction, such as residential homes, barns, and the like, are also disclosed.